Rethinking Santa Clara County’s food system

Before Silicon Valley, there was the Valley of Heart’s Delight—Santa Clara County has long been known for its abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. And while orchards have become tech campuses over time, there is room for both versions of the valley to thrive.

Morgan Hill, San Martin, and Gilroy are still home to million-dollar crops such as mushrooms, bell peppers, and salad greens. Urban farms such as Veggielution and creative local food ventures such as Valley Verde continue to crop up, creating a new generation of farmers. More than half of the 36 certified farmers’ markets in Santa Clara County accommodate food assistance programs. So why is it that too many people in the county still lack access to healthy food, finding it easier to eat a Big Mac than fresh, locally grown food?

As a member of the Food System Alliance, Greenbelt Alliance is working with others to address the issues with Santa Clara County’s food system—from the inaccessibility of healthy foods to the loss of farmland. To aid this effort, the Food System Alliance has just released the Santa Clara County Food System Assessment, a practical tool that will serve as the foundation for positive change.

Key findings include:

Proportion of Santa Clara County farms with direct sales (10.5%) is greater than that of California (8.7%)

La Mesa Verde’s program to increase healthy food access for impoverished communities resulted in 91% of families eating more vegetables and 25% of families reporting savings of over $720 annually by eating homegrown produce

38% of adults in the county are overweight; 17% are obese

55% of the county’s remaining farmland is at risk of being developed in the next 30 years

KNow about Full Circle Farm in Sunnyvale. Part of the Santa Clara Unified School District working with Sustainable Community Gardens non profit to make it so. Needs resources to continue the education they had worked up and implemented. 6th, 7th, 8th graders learning about organic food processes, from growing their own to farm management skills and the science of it all! Support this amazing non profit in your exceptional work identifying local food sources. We need A LOT more of this to get away from the poison being served to us via Monsanto and the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Cargill et al. These are new century food terrorist, feeding Americans the cauliflower mosaic virus in ALL corn products (please tell me you folks know about this Monsanto crime against humanity). Thank you. Keep me informed please.
Thank you,